Holding On For Life
by brianlionel.113
Summary: Naruto had been hurt when he saved his friend, Konohamaru, and now his life was in danger and his only hope for survival was the younger shinobi.


Kunai clung from his back and blood dripped from his mouth, his eyes almost closed and lifeless as if his life were slipping away every second that passed. His hands firmly set in my shoulders and with a rapid movement they were both in my cheeks, forcing me to look at him in the eyes. I didn't want to, but I was barely capable of fighting him right now. I looked at him and he had one of those smiles that I loved in his lips even when he was about to die because he had to come save me from an ambush of Mist shinobi.

Tears began gathering in pools under my eyes, I couldn't resist looking at him like this when he said to me what he and I supposed would be his last words,

"Konohamaru, promise me you won't ever do something as risky and that you'll never ever be so reckless again. Promise me that," Naruto managed to say.

"I promise I won't," I sobbed.

I proceeded to lay him with his back up to remove the kunai that were clinging from his back, he had lost blood I could easily tell by the shirt that was soaking wet when I cut it. It hurt him when I took out the kunai, but I had no option if I wanted him to survive and I wanted him to survive so badly I could've done anything to ensure he wouldn't leave me alone. When I had remove the kunai, I cleaned the wounds and applied pressure before bandaging him to avoid or reduce the loss of blood.

Once I was done, I put his arm around my shoulders and secured him as close to me as I could as we went through the forest looking for one of the medical ninja from our team. If I just had an amazing smelling sense like the Inuzuka or Byakugan like the Hyuga, I would've found out where Sakura was. If there was someone who could save him now, it was her.

I wouldn't stop crying as I looked for them. I was mad at myself because I had put him in this situation, sad because I could lose him, furious and wanting to rip off the throats of those Mist ninja because they were the one the ones who threw those kunai, and worried that I didn't make it in time to save him. I knew Naruto could heal rapidly because of the Nine-tails, but I wasn't sure how rapidly his body could heal those wounds and produce more blood to replace the one he'd lost. I hoped that stupid fox would help him.

I was sure the Mist ninja weren't following us because if they had been they would've attacked already and I couldn't feel anyone but me and Naruto around. Thank God they didn't follow us. What would I have done if they had? Naruto was unconscious and totally useless in battle and I was almost out of chakra too, I wouldn't be able to protect myself and Naruto from them, probably not even myself.

This forest was so dense and cold that I could barely find a place where the rest of our team could have hidden after that attack, I hadn't seen where they had gone and we had no camp set so I had no clue where to go…if Naruto could help me find them now, he could've tracked them easily using his senjutsu, but trying to wake him up so he did that was out of question. I can't have him risk himself even more by doing so.

Where could she be now? I had to find her no matter what...

\- - {} - -

I hadn't find them yet and Naruto was still out, I'd checked many times if his heart and lungs hadn't shut down. So far they hadn't and, at least, one hour has passed ever since he saved me. He was doing well so far, but I still felt uneasy about the idea of quitting looking for the other and stay somewhere with him till he wakes up. Giving the fact his pulse and breathing were stable and normal, I thought that was a reasonable idea, but what if he had complications? What if his lungs shut down? What if his heart stopped? I could've tried to bring him back with the little medical knowledge I knew, but risking his life like that simply too dangerous.

I halted in a tree when I felt that someone was around. I grabbed a kunai and got into position to block whatever he dared throwing us. The stillness became unbearable as well as the silence as I waited for the other ninja to make the first movement and reveal his position. The atmosphere became heavy and nothing moved, but my instincts were shouting that I was in imminent danger, but I didn't dare moving and making a mistake 'cause it could've been the end for both me and Naruto so I remained still.

The silence was broken when I heard the characteristic sound of shuriken coming towards me. I blocked every single one of them and returned fire now that I knew where that ninja hid. A corpse fell from a branch and clashed in the hard ground. I'd killed him and I was sure 'cause that was no substitution jutsu.

Unsure if there were more enemies, I remained ready for any other attack but it never came so I picked up Naruto and resumed the search.

I didn't dare getting distracted because if I missed the place where Sakura and the rest where, in case they'd already gathered, I'd be in several trouble or even worse if I ran into more Mist ninja. Killing one that was by himself and wasn't the brightest of all was easy, but encountering a large group and trying to fight them giving my actual condition was simply suicide.

The hours kept passing and I still couldn't find them, and Naruto was still ok so I stopped in a tree to rest for a bit and check Naruto yet once again. His breathing and pulse were still stable so I set him down and checked my reservoirs of weapons, water, and food pills, I had a good amount of weapons and food pills, but I was running out of water. I had about half a bottle of water so I would need to find a river or a brook or whatever source of water I can find soon.

I put everything away and looked at Naruto. He looked so peaceful like if he were sleeping but I knew he was really fighting to stay alive and, so far, that fox seemed to have been helping stay alive 'cause his wounds looked better when I changed his bandages. They were closing and the bleeding had stopped so I felt a little relieved, but, once I remembered why he'd been injured, tears began flowing and I felt horrible because I had put him through this.

"Don't cry, Maru," Naruto said, and my head shot upwards to look at him and he was smiling with his eyes still closed. He must've lost consciousness again after he said that.

I couldn't obey his order because tears of happiness replaced the ones from before and I felt so much better knowing he was going to be ok, he would just need time to get rest and in the meantime I would protect him with my life if need be.

This boy could really be fascinating…he'd lifted my mood when I most needed it even if he wasn't in the best of conditions. He was the most important person in my life that was still alive unlike my parents who were dead, my uncle was who dead, my grandpa who also happened to be dead; this boy here holding on to life was the only one that was left and if he died I'd have no further reason to live so I was begging him not to go.

He seemed to be improving quite fast, but I hope he makes it through the night that was creeping and taking the place of the day. The sun began disappearing in a beautiful mélange of hues as the moon began becoming visible and the dark shades of blue that were the first to come replaced the oranges, pinks, and yellow that reigned the heavens for a short time.

The sunset was one of the most beautiful things in this world more so then the breaking dawn, and I would've like Naruto to be awake and appreciate its beauty with me. I would've liked him to be ok and back in the Hidden Leaf walking on the crowded streets to Ichiraku's to eat supper with me. I guess if we do make it out of here, I'll take him to eat all the ramen he could with me…even if it costed me a good part of the money I earn from my missions that was vital to sustain myself. I would do it just to see him smile one of those true smiles that could melt an iceberg with their warmth.

The chilly breezes of the night hit me and made me shudder, I knew this was gonna be a real cold night and I would have to find a way to keep me and Naruto warm. I created a shadow clone and instructed him to go gather wood to start a fire to keep us warm and the clone rapidly made its way through the forest. In the meantime, I took a quilt out of my backpack and wrapped Naruto in it. I'd thought of snuggling with him under the quilt to stay warm, but I could fall asleep and the clone would disappear and wouldn't bring back the wood I needed to start the fire and that would also mean that any enemy that showed up would be able to kill us without any trouble so I decided on staying away from Naruto and being ready for anything.

The clone returned twenty minutes later with enough wood to keep the fire going for the night, I thanked the clone and released the jutsu, but, now that I think about it, what I did was odd. Why would I thank my clone and tell him he'd done an awesome job if the clone was an extension of myself? It was like telling myself that I did a good job unless obviously clones are another being with your same characteristics meanwhile you're performing the jutsu…I'm not making any sense any longer so I guess I should forget that and keep going.

I started the fire and soon the flames warmed me enough to be comfortable without having to be wrapped around in the quilt with Naruto.

\- - {} - -

Next morning, I woke up after getting almost no sleep. I think I slept for two hours last night, I didn't feel all that tired so I moved towards Naruto to check on him again and everything was ok. He was still out but his pulse and breathing remained unchanged, he was probably going to wake up later on today…maybe by noon, he's already up.

Hoping that would be the case, I turned out the fire with some dirt and began folding the quilt and putting it back inside the backpack. I took a food pill and some water and prepared to get going, when I heard noise coming from the forest. Two voices, female, they seemed worried. I held a kunai in my right hand and several shuriken in the left ready to attack if they were enemies, my instincts were once more shouting that I was in danger and telling me to get the hell out of there. The pressure and uneasiness I was feeling were killing me. I needed to know whether we were in danger or not, but I wouldn't break the promise I did. I wouldn't be reckless. As far as I knew, those two people that were coming could be our teammates and I couldn't risk injuring them or worse.

The two female voices getting nearer, slowly two figures emerged from the trees and it was Sakura and Moegi. I let out a loud sigh as the uneasiness dissipated…I would have to explain Naruto's situation to Sakura and Moegi now.

"Thank goodness it's you Konohamaru, we've been looking for you and Naruto. Are you hurt?" Moegi asked and I shook my head and rushed them to check on Naruto who was the one that had been hurt.

"What happened to him?" Sakura asked as she checked his vital signs.

"He was injured by several kunai on the back when he saved me from Mist shinobi. I did the best that I could do to stop the bleeding, cleaning his wounds, and bandaging him," I said so fast that it must have all sounded like an awfully long compound word, but Sakura seemed to understand what I said. She must be used to hearing people speaking like that at the hospital.

She instructed me to hold Naruto sitting as she changed the bandages and checked how serious the matter had been. She removed them and took a look, Naruto's back was almost intact like nothing had ever happened…six little scars was all that was left. I was shocked 'cause yesterday he'd almost bled to death and now, here he was perfectly fine.

"Did he lose a lot of blood?" She asked me.

"Maybe some, I don't know how much exactly, I just remember his shirt was soaking when I removed the kunai and bandaged him," I told her truthfully.

"Ok," She said and gathered chakra in her hands. She set her hands on his chest and would move them as if checking Naruto's insides. I was getting worried again and this wasn't helping much. The silence was becoming annoying and I was becoming more and more anxious because she wasn't telling me whether he was fine or not, and it looks like my face showed my preoccupation 'cause she said,

"He'll be fine, Konohamaru. His organs are fine and, judging by his state, he'll wake up later today or tomorrow," and I let out a big sigh of relief.

"In fact, lemme tell you that what you did might've been what helped him make it. If you hadn't intervened when you did, he would've continue bleeding and would've died eventually," She added after checking his back once more.

"You're saying that to make me feel better, aren't you?" I asked 'cause I couldn't believe that the healing powers of the Nine-tails according to her wouldn't have been enough to heal him. It was impossible that what she was saying was true.

"No, I'm not. If you hadn't stopped the bleeding, he'd have lost too much blood and all attempts of the Nine-tails to close the wounds would've been futile," She explained.

I wasn't sure whether I should feel good or not 'cause, on one hand, he'd risk his life to save me and, on the other, I'd had to do what I did to save him because of what I caused earlier. As I took a moment to ponder this, I came to the conclusion that it could've been eluded somehow and that what I did couldn't be consider heroic 'cause I caused it. I still felt guilty as I saw Naruto so lifeless like that so, as to stop thinking about it, I asked the girls where the rest of the team was and we began making our way back to the camp they'd set.

\- - {} - -

After sleeping most of the day, I woke up around seven o'clock probably in the camp with the others. They were having dinner already when I approached the fire and sat beside Sai and Udon. I was handed a plate and chopsticks to eat whatever it was they'd made, and, unlike most things that come out of spur of the moment, this one tasted so good that I couldn't help it but to get three servings till I collapsed on the ground and began patting my poor belly that felt like it was going to burst any moment.

I lay there on my back for a while till I noticed Naruto was nowhere to be seen which made me wonder whether he was awake already and what he was doing. So I asked,

"Sakura, where's Naruto?"

"Naruto…he woke up before you did and went to the river to get some water for us, he might be coming back already," She smiled, and somehow that all made me feel uneasy. It was a feeling similar to that of being in danger, but it was also different…it is weird but I felt like I needed to go check on Naruto right now. I guess I was having premonition,

"In what direction is the river?" I asked, suddenly getting on my feet.

"One-fourth of a mile in that direction," Sai answered, pointing to the Northeast and I took off running as fast as I could.

\- - {} - -

When I got to the river, I saw Naruto surrounded by at least thirty Mist shinobi with kunai and their hands or some others ready to weave hand seals for a jutsu. He had no chance against this many shinobi, even if he was a great shinobi himself that could take down Akatsuki as powerful as Pain by himself…against this many ninja no matter what he tried he would receive a lethal blow one way or another, and that would be it for him.

I stopped on a branch as I saw Naruto evaluating his options, doubtlessly I began weaving seals so fast that even I was surprised when I finished and cried, "Ninja Art: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu," and one shuriken became a thousand. The mist shinobi either blocked them or dodged them, but that was meaningless 'cause I gave Naruto the chance to get out of there.

I began weaving seals once more from the tree and once I was done about ten seconds later I cried, "Fire Style: Burning Ash," and the powder came out of my mouth and rapidly engulfed many Mist shinobi in an explosive ball of fire that consumed them, leaving no trace of them.

About a hundred Naruto appeared in the battlefield and began fighting the Mist shinobi that were still alive. I was about to get down of the tree and help Naruto when I heard someone shout, "Water Style: Water Gun Jutsu," and a water drop dashed through the air causing the same sound as a handgun that had just been shot. I dodged it and threw a kunai at the shinobi who'd just attacked me. I'm not sure whether I hit him or not, but that must've bought me enough time to get on the ground and weave the seals for the Burning Ash Jutsu once more.

The chakra-infused powder engulfed great part of the trees and the shinobi themselves in a ball of fire that burned them leaving no traces of them except a rainstorm of shuriken they'd thrown at me. Shuriken showered above me and I blocked all those that could've reached me before moving to help Naruto with the Mist shinobi that kept appearing out of nowhere.

"If we want get out of here alive, I suggest you use the Rasengan Barrage," I told Naruto as we both fought at least five ninja at a time.

He nodded and jumped backwards towards the river forming a hand seal as he sank, and several seconds later at least fifty Naruto clones surfaced with Rasengan ready to charge the enemy. The real Naruto came among them and defeated one of the ninja with a Rasengan, but, as he was getting once more in a fighting stance, an odd entity formed behind him with a kunai in its hand ready to deliver Naruto a lethal blow in the neck. I reacted as fast as I could and launched a kunai at the guy hitting him directly in the neck.

 _That was so close_ , I thought before feeling a stinging pain in my stomach. _I'd just been stabbed because I let my guard down_ , I thought as I grabbed the guy's hand, securing it so he wouldn't be able to run when I sliced his throat with my own kunai.

I fell down on my back and then a silhouette I knew so well took the form of Naruto crouching by my side with tears dripping from those blue orbs I had fallen in love with so long ago. He was so mad and sad at the same time just like the way I'd felt after he received all those kunai that were aimed at me.

"Ninja Art: Super Beasts Scroll," I heard someone shout in the background, and then a pink-haired kunoichi approached and crouched to remove the kunai from my stomach, and, God, it hurt when she did that! That's when I felt my hand being engulfed in a bigger and stronger one as it all became darker and I lost consciousness…

\- - {} - -

I woke to see a bright, artificial light that blinded me almost instantly. I scrubbed my eyes and turned to look around at my surroundings, but my eyes stopped abruptly over the shape of a certain sixteen-year-old blond with blue eyes and whisker-like scars on his cheeks. He smiled at me and said,

"So you decided to finally wake up,"

"Eh? How long was I out?" I asked.

"About four days since you saved me back there for the second time," he said embarrassed.

"I didn't save you two times," I argued as I sat down on the bed. My whole body ached like hell especially my belly. _What happened?_ I thought before memories of that night came back. I remembered killing that thug that would've killed Naruto, being stabbed and killing another one, Sakura attending my wound, and Naruto holding my hand…Naruto holding my hand? Had that happened or did I just came up with that?

"Yes, you did according to Sakura. She said you took care of me after I believed that I was a human shield and saved you from those kunai, and I really want to thank you for that and for killing that guy that night; however, I thought you'd promised not to be so reckless, right?" he said, "yet you left the safety of the camp to go look for me…and for that I ought to thank you too,"

"Hey! I can't help it if I'm reckless when it comes to saving the person I love," I let go and I regretted it instantly as I acknowledged that I'd just told him that I loved him.

"You…you lo-love me?" Naruto stuttered with a visible expression of complete confusion.

I couldn't deny it now so I just nodded and, immediately, my head was hanging so low I couldn't see the smile that my confession caused on my blond friend, till his hand forced me to look at him. He draw back his hand from my chin and said,

"I'd been wanting to hear you say that for so long," he said and his strong arms embraced in an asphyxiating hug that soon became a kiss when his tender lips met mine. The contact was so short I could barely register it before he pulled back and waited for a reaction from me. I pulled him back and our lips met again in a longer kiss…and believe it or not, when I had pondered how kissing Naruto would feel and taste like, I wouldn't have believed if someone had told me it would taste like ramen. I pulled back to breathe and, as I regained my breathe, I asked breathlessly,

"I don't think I need…to ask whether you love me or not, do I?"

"No, I think it is pretty clear, you know," he smiled before he scooted into the bed with me and his arms enveloped me as he kissed me once more beneath the artificial light of the hospital lamps...

The End


End file.
